


Sleepless Nights

by Moonykins



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-15
Updated: 2014-01-15
Packaged: 2018-01-08 20:51:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1137244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonykins/pseuds/Moonykins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve stood in the entrance way to Tony’s workshop in nothing but a pair of very stretchy pajama bottoms.  His hair was mussed from sleep and he was rubbing at one of his eyes, looking a lot younger than he physically appeared (almost like a child who had just woken from a nightmare).  His big, pregnant belly stood out proudly from the rest of his body, drawing Tony’s eyes to it like a magnet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleepless Nights

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as a Christmas present for my friend. It was something fast and unbeta'd. I'll go back and edit it one day, I swear.

“You’re not in bed.”

Tony turned in his chair, smiling softly at the sight before him.  Steve stood in the entrance way to Tony’s workshop in nothing but a pair of very stretchy pajama bottoms.  His hair was mussed from sleep and he was rubbing at one of his eyes, looking a lot younger than he physically appeared (almost like a child who had just woken from a nightmare).  His big, pregnant belly stood out proudly from the rest of his body, drawing Tony’s eyes to it like a magnet. 

Tony felt he would never get used to the sight of Steve with a pregnant stomach, it was still so new to them all.  When the pair had gotten the news that Tony was gravely ill during his first trimester, Thor had suggested they go to Asgard for medical aid.  The healers there were able miraculously save the child, but without a host for it to grow in it would have faded quickly.  Age had finally caught up with Tony, and the magic that had once helped him become pregnant would no longer suffice.  So, Steve stepped up to the plate, offering to carry their third child.  Tony nearly burst out crying when he heard his husband speak up, and then again when Thor had told him that the process had been a success.  Their third child could now safely grow inside of Steve—his body was perfectly suitable for such a thing and the super soldier serum had instantly recognized the new addition and welcomed it.

Steve’s pregnancy had been very different from Tony’s previous two.  For one thing, Steve was inexplicably happy almost all of the time.  He hummed and sang to himself a lot more than he normally did.  He rarely ever got morning sickness, which was a good thing because he was now eating so much more than usual.  In fact, just last week Tony had restocked the fridge only to find it completely empty three days later, a new record for Steve’s pregnancy cravings.  Steve had been quite embarrassed by it at first, but he never put himself down.  Tony didn’t need to reassure him and tell him that just because he had a belly the size of a watermelon it didn’t mean that he was any less beautiful.  That didn’t mean that Tony didn’t shower Steve with compliments though, because he did, every chance he got.

The only downside to Steve’s pregnancy thus far had been when his hormones decided to flare, causing drastic mood swings.  The other Avengers had quickly learned to steer clear of Steve when he was feeling even the least bit angry.  Considering the first time it happened Steve had nearly reduced Clint to a quivering puddle of nerves, it came as no surprise that no one wanted to be around for another mood swing.  Naturally, after one of these occurrences Steve would seek out whoever he had wronged and beg them for forgiveness, something they were all too happy to give him for fear that not forgiving him would anger him once more and cause the vicious cycle to start all over again.

“No.  I’m not.  I’m down here, as you can see.” Tony got up from his chair, padding barefoot across the workshop and over to Steve.  He looked him up and down, trying to gauge his mood, but Steve appeared to be perfectly content if not a little disappointed looking.  “You alright, baby?”

A light blush spread like wildfire across Steve’s face and he quickly averted his eyes, arms crossed over his belly bulge.  “It’s just…I uh…” He gave a small cough, voice coming out so quietly that Tony almost missed it.  “I can’t sleep without you beside me.”

Tony bit his lip to keep from saying something stupid.  He said it anyway.  “Aww, Steve!  You’re too cute!”  He wrapped his husband in his arms, kissing his cheeks and running his hands over the globe of his belly.  “Alright.  Let’s get you in bed.  About face, soldier.”

Steve chuckled as Tony helped to turn him around, sticking close by his side and fussing with him as they walked back up the stairs (“You should have taken the elevator.  You know how to use it.  Bruce said you shouldn’t be walking down these.  I mean, you can’t even see your feet!  You could have fallen, you nut.”).  Tony didn’t stop talking the entire way to the bedroom, but he quieted down once he had gotten Steve back into bed.  He helped him to sit down, knowing that it was a difficult task when you have all of that extra weight to carry around.

“You need anything?” Tony asked, pulling the covers up to Steve’s chin.

Steve yawned and shook his head, watching as Tony stripped down to his boxers and climbed in bed beside him.  “Just you.”

That got a smile from the genius.  Tony wormed under the covers and pressed as close to Steve as he could, fingers splayed over his belly.  “You’re extra sappy when you’re pregnant.”

“You love it.” Steve retorted, a smart smirk in place.

“I do.” With his other hand, Tony swept Steve’s hair from his face, looking him in the eye.  Silenced blanketed them for a few minutes and all Tony could do was stroke the stretching skin of Steve’s belly, thinking about how their child rested right there, right beneath his palm.  If Steve hadn’t stepped up, offered his body as a host, their child wouldn’t be here right now.  Everyone was panicked when Tony started showing symptoms of being gravely ill and no one knew quite what to do.  Tony would never forget what he had told Steve before they had taken off for Asgard (“Steve, if it comes down to a choice, you have to choose him.  Promise me you’ll choose him.”).  He hadn’t heard Steve’s answer and he knew that the soldier probably wouldn’t listen—Steve never was very good at following the rules.  Steve would have chosen Tony; his husband, his lover, his best friend, over their child.  They would have lived with the loss for the remainder of their lives, but at least they would have each other.  Steve didn’t know if he could live without Tony, especially if the child had survived and Tony had not.  He would see Tony’s face every time he looked at their son and think of the sacrifice his husband had made to be sure that this life had survived.  Steve couldn’t live with that.

Luckily it hadn’t come down to that.  The healers were able to save Tony, stop his internal bleeding, and transfer the child to Steve, who hadn’t hesitated when they had been asked where the child would grow for the remaining months until its birth.

Tony knew he couldn’t thank Steve enough for what he had done, what he was continuing to do.

“Hey.  You’ve got that far off look in your eyes again.” Steve observed, reaching out to cup the side of Tony’s face in his big, warm hand.  “You’re thinking about it again, aren’t you?”

Tony didn’t even need to answer verbally, the frown he gave was enough.  Steve’s lips were on his in an instant, soft and warm.

“You would have done the exact same thing.” Steve looked into Tony’s eyes and not for the first time Tony wondered how he was so brave.  By all means, Tony should be the one doing the comfort here, but he wasn’t.  But he could still do that, couldn’t he?  Yeah.  Tony could comfort Steve.  He had done it dozens of times before.

Plastering a smile on his face, he sat up and threw the covers back, nudging Steve’s legs apart so that he could sit between them.  “Happy thoughts, Steve.  You’re gonna upset him with all your negativity.”  Tony’s hands traveled from the bottom of Steve’s belly to the top, outlining the beautifully round shape of it.

Steve quirked an eyebrow, chuckling low in his throat.  “You’re the one who—“

“Nope.” Tony countered.  He leaned down and kissed at Steve’s protruding belly button, getting a soft kick in response for his action.  A smile split his lips and he was quick to put his ear to Steve’s belly, straining and listening for any sign of movement from within.  “Hey, little guy.  You awake in there?  You couldn’t sleep without me either, could ya?  You’re just like your papa already.”

“Are you kidding?” Steve laughed.  “He’s going to be just like you!  He hardly ever sleeps as it is, and then when he does he’s perfectly still to the point where he scares me.  Clearly he’s picked up your bad sleeping habits already.”

Tony’s nose tickled Steve’s skin when the genius turned his face and began showering Steve’s stomach with kisses.  “There can be no rest for geniuses, baby.  Our brains keep us thinking constantly.  It’s both a gift and a curse.”

“You can say that again.”

Tony turned his attention to Steve’s belly once more, feeling the baby bumping against his hand.  Experimentally, he moved it to the other side, waiting a few seconds before the baby met up with it again.  “Steve, he’s following my hand.”

“He does that.” Steve answered, scratching at the side of his stomach, something Tony picked up on.

“You itchy again?”

“A little.” Steve replied, watching as Tony reached for the cocoa butter on the beside table before he had even answered.  It was becoming a nightly ritual for them, one that helped to prevent stretch marks (not that they would be permanent for Steve since his body healed so well).  Tony uncapped the bottle and squirted some of the lotion onto Steve’s stomach, using his fingers to spread it, palms lightly massaging the stretching skin.  Steve’s eyes fluttered shut and he let out a happy sigh, head falling back against his pillow.  “Mmm.  That feels so good.”

“I’ll bet.  It always did when you did it for me.”

They fell silent once more as Tony continued massaging the lotion into Steve’s skin.  The baby had calmed down once more and Tony was so focused on the task at hand that he hadn’t realized that Steve had fallen asleep until he heard him snoring ever so lightly.  With a quiet laugh, Tony replaced the lotion on the bedside table and moved to lie down beside his husband, pulling the covers up around them.  He would watch Steve sleep for a couple of minutes more before he attempted to fall asleep, where his dreams would be filled with images of his unborn son.

He really couldn’t thank Steve enough.


End file.
